NCAA RELEASE | WOMAN OF THE YEAR ON NCAA.ORG | ALISON JOHNSON BIO
Johnson Becomes Second Adelphi Women's Lacrosse Player to Earn Distinction in Three Years.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The National Collegiate Athletic Association has narrowed down its pool of nominees for its 2021 Woman of the Year award, and recent Adelphi women's lacrosse graduate Alison Johnson has made the cut as a Top 30 honoree.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Selected from 535 school nominees — a group that was then narrowed to 154 nominees by conference offices — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. All have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees represent 12 sports and an array of academic majors, including biology, psychology, mechanical engineering, education, software engineering and anthropology.
"I am incredibly honored and humbled to be included on such a prestigious list of talented female athletes," commented Johnson. "I am forever indebted to my family and Adelphi University for providing me with the support, guidance and platform to be successful and develop into the person I am today."
Johnson played an integral part of the nationally-acclaimed women's lacrosse program, which captured two national championships in her five seasons in an Adelphi uniform, most recently in 2019. She also joins teammate Chelsea Abreu '19, who was also the Northeast-10 Conference Woman of the Year/NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and made it to the top-nine finalist round.
Johnson carries an extensive resume of accolades during her time, including three IWLCA All-America nods and CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Her rookie campaign in 2017 culminated in the program's eighth Division II Championship title and recognition as the NE10 Rookie of the Year. That year, she tied for the team lead in points (97), ranked second in goals (40), and was the leader in assists (57) in a season where she started all 22 games and scored at least two goals in 13 contests.
Among the all-time ranks of women's lacrosse players in NE10 history, Johnson has a prominent place in the record books - sitting second in career points (375) and first in assists (261). She was named NE10 Player of the Year in 2018 and is a three-time First Team All-Conference selection.
"The athletic side is easily measured through statistics, honors and championships, but there is so much more. A.J. has served as an inspiration for us all just by being herself," said head coach Pat McCabe.
"She's the one a teammate calls when they're feeling down or need someone to lean on. She's a person who understands that true leadership is about service to others. Our program is a better program because of Alison Johnson. She has raised the standard for how we do things each and every day," added McCabe.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, the Middle Island, N.Y. native has impressed in the classroom, earning Academic All-America honors while being named to the NE10 Academic/Commissioner's Honor Roll in each semester. Incredibly, she has also found time to contribute in areas outside of the field and the classroom, as the coordinator of this year's Headstrong Game Hair Havoc fundraiser and active in the team's efforts with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which matched the program with five-year-old Alexia "Lexi" Corvino, who suffers from a rare mitochondrial disease.
But her road has not been without adversity, which is expressed in her personal statement that was included in the nomination process.
"In my time as a Panther, I suffered the tragedies of my father's heart attack leaving him in a vegetative state in 2019, and the passing of my mother in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As an only child, these two losses rendered me quite alone, especially in a socially distant world. Instead of succumbing, I called upon the fiery strength that Lexi demonstrates on a daily basis and the unwavering support of my loved ones and Panther family to power through. Resilience and perseverance are attributes that I initially developed through athletics, yet I now channel them in my daily life to face a world after loss. I remain determined to exude strength and positivity despite the odds, and be the best version of myself each day."
"Alison Johnson has been one of the most important people and players in the history of our program," said McCabe. "She is a young woman of tremendous character and has demonstrated poise, class and maturity since she arrived at Adelphi. It is understandable and expected that a young person will take some time to grow as a person throughout their college career. Alison was ready the day she stepped on campus. Ready to be a great player. Ready to be a great student. Ready to be a leader among her peers. And ready for everything life would throw her way. Whether it was opposing defenses, the rigors of a demanding major and class schedule, or the numerous real life hardships she went through, she has always been ready, willing and able to do whatever was necessary."
The selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced this fall. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.
"I am overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to represent female athletes, Adelphi University, the Northeast-10 Conference and Division II athletics on the national stage," Johnson concluded.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, during a virtual awards ceremony, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.
NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR – FUN FACTS
- This marks the 31st year of the Woman of the Year celebration.
- Four pillars: Academics, Athletics, Service and Leadership
- Average GPA of the Top 30 honorees: 3.92
- Records: Top 30 honorees hold 50 school records and nine conference records in their respective sports.
- Postgraduate scholarships: Five honorees received NCAA postgraduate scholarships.
"I am overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to represent female athletes, @AdelphiU, @TheNortheast10 and @NCAADII on the national stage."
— Adelphi Athletics (@AUPanthers) September 23, 2021
Congratulations @MsJohnson316 for being named an @ncaa Woman of the Year Top-3️⃣0️⃣ Honoree.
��: https://t.co/ZllRZ9faU4#NCAAWOTY pic.twitter.com/kUC2FfZUyO
-Release provided by Adelphi athletic communications-
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
